


Thaw Me Out, I'll Breathe You In

by Chiherah



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gender-Neutral Pronouns for Pidge | Katie Holt, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, shance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-20
Updated: 2016-11-20
Packaged: 2018-09-01 01:29:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8601877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chiherah/pseuds/Chiherah
Summary: After witnessing Pidge injured in battle, Shiro has a panic attack. Lance just wants to help.





	

**Author's Note:**

> My first A03 fic! And Voltron no less. I haven't written in a long time so I hope I did alright. Hope these characters aren't that OOC. This work is dedicated to Velocic, Endless.Skies and Cincinclidae of the CUTE GUSH SQUAD I love you guys!!!

Shiro couldn’t remember the last time he felt this peaceful. He could recall many different moments of relief, such as the few fleeting seconds after a successful fight in the arena back on the Galran prison ship, but never like this; never this relaxed. A comforting feeling surrounded him as he listened to the soft sounds of the clear blue ocean waves crashing against the shore. The sun was high in the sky; its bright, warm rays soaking into his skin as he tilted his head back, eyes closed.

He took a deep breath, the scent of sea salt filling him with a strong desire to stay here, sitting in the soft, white sand, legs outstretched, leaning back onto hands which dug into the fine granules. Fingers wiggled as they dug deeper into the earth, letting the feeling of the warm sand grating between them only soothe him more.

Shiro let out the breath slowly. He smiled to himself as he sat upright, raising his hands to his head, removing the telepathic headpiece and setting it to the side.

It was not his idea to utilize the advanced Altean technology in this manner. Though it did prove useful in team training to help strengthen their bonds to form Voltron, he always feared that there may be detrimental side effects of the mind-meld process. It was actually the Blue Paladin’s suggestion to use the tech to help Shiro relax.

Shiro had, just an hour prior, slipped into another panic attack, set off by more unwanted, gruesome memories resurfacing at the worst of times. They had just barely completed a mission of gathering Galra intel. An ambush on a supposedly uninhabited planet turned bloody quickly; the Green Paladin had received the worst injuries, landing them in the medical bay in a healing pod.

Shiro had only taken a quick glance at Pidge’s face, which was twisted in pain, and a vision of a still lost friend and teammate came forward in his mind. At that second, everything seemed to fall apart around him as he clutched his head, crying out in fear, and bolted for his quarters. He ran quickly away, ignoring the pleading and worried voices of his fellow paladins.

Needless to say, he was sort of shocked when the first person to approach him was Lance, though he felt that a small part of him was glad that it was. Lance may be the type of person to freak out over hectic situations, but he was still very level-headed and displayed a strong sense of leadership when the need arose. Shiro could appreciate that, acting as the leader himself. It was nice to know he had someone he could trust to take the reins if something should ever happen to him.

Sensing the the Black Paladin was still shaken from his episode, Lance had simply sat next to him in silence for a while before offering a suggestion to use the neurotransmitters to help relax him. Shiro had been hesitant, but Lance's reassuring smile had him nodding his consent, and before he knew it, they were alone in the training room with the headsets on.

Lance had projected a memory of visiting Varadero Beach, something Shiro wasn't expecting to see, but was just so entirely _Lance_ that he didn't question it. The heat from the sun, the grit of the sand and the crashing of the waves instantly washed away any residual panic he still felt, and he let the serene afternoon scene fill him with nothing but quiet meditation for what felt like hours.

Now, as he lifted his hand away from the headset he had placed on the floor, Shiro opened his eyes to see a smiling Lance sitting across from him.

“Told you it would help.” Lance grinned wide, as he took his own headset off.

Shiro hummed in agreement. “That was a very beautiful beach. Did you visit often?”

“Yeah, my family and I would vacation there often. Visit our other relatives in Cuba. The beaches there were amazing.”

“Are.”

“Huh?”

“Are amazing. Earth is still there, you know. It's safe.”

“Right. Present tense. Sorry.”

Lance grinned slightly but Shiro could tell that the memory of home had the opposite effect on him than it had on himself. There was definitely a glint of grief and loss in the Blue Paladin’s eyes, but he certainly didn't miss the moment that the usual gleam returned to them as they met his own gaze. Shiro smiled back gently, in hopes to return the reassurance that Lance had given him just an hour before.

Lance stood, tugging at his jacket. “Well, uh, I'm glad I could help you, at least.”

“You certainly did.” Shiro stood, as well. “Thank you, Lance.”

“Don't sweat it, man. I mean, it's no problem at all. I just…” Lance fiddled with the hem of his sleeve as he struggled to find the right words. “You're important to m- us. You're our leader, the decisive head of Voltron. And it's our job, I feel, to make sure that your head’s clear to make the best decisions, you know?”

Shiro stepped closer to the smaller man and placed his human hand on his shoulder. “Lance, you know it's not your job to worry about me, right? That's my job. To worry and take care of you. As your leader,” his grip on Lance's shoulder loosened a bit, sliding slightly down his arm, holding gently, “and as your friend.”

“I still feel that we share a lot of responsibility. You know, as a family or whatever. We have to stick together and help each other out.”

Shiro’s heart soared at those words. Lance may appear as a flirtatious moron to outsiders, but he always knew that, deep down, the Blue Paladin was always one to show compassion and trust towards his teammates. And here Lance was, saying these stupidly soft and caring things, and it was doing weird things to his brain. Before he could register what he was doing, he found himself pulling Lance into a hug.

Lance stuttered for a moment, clearly caught off guard with his hands up by his sides, before he slowly brought them around and settled them lightly on Shiro’s back.

“Lance. Sharing the responsibility of protecting and caring for your fellow teammates is one thing, but please don't ever feel like what I'm going through is your burden to bear as well. I am so, so thankful for your compassion and for what you did today. But I would also feel extremely guilty if I'm the cause of your own pain. Do you understand?”

Lance relaxed slightly into the hug, pulling his arms tighter around Shiro’s larger frame. He nodded into the other’s chest.

Shiro pulled back, his hands still resting on Lance's upper arms, his thumbs unconsciously flitting over the fabric of the jacket underneath them. He looked down into glistening deep blue eyes, watching as they blinked back tears that threatened to fall. He took a deep breath and took a small step backwards, reaching up to affectionately ruffle Lance's soft chestnut hair with a grin. “C’mon. Let's go see how Pidge is doing.”

Lance smiled back up at him, nodding before they both turned to head to the medical bay.

 

\-----

 

When Lance entered the medical bay with Shiro, he was relieved to find Pidge already out of the healing pod. They were talking to Hunk, saying something about how the pods were uncomfortable and could use some tweaking. Boy, he could relate. But by the looks on Coran and Allura’s faces, Lance doubted that they would let Pidge anywhere near the pods’ core.

Hunk was the first to notice them, having been facing the door. The rest of the team followed Hunk’s eyes a moment after.

“Shiro! Lance! Oh man, you guys are right on time. Pidge just popped out of the pod.” Hunk’s face was plastered with a huge grin. He pulled Pidge in close, who protested about not wanted to have to go back in because they were crushed to death.

“Hey guys! Sup, gremlin, how you feelin’?” Lance sauntered over to their team, tossing an arm on top of Pidge’s head, who promptly swatted it away.

“I’m fine, Lance, thanks.” Pidge grumbled, though there was a slight trace of a smile playing on their lips.

“Of course you’re fine! You’re a paladin of Voltron, son! We’re all _fine_ ~” Lance gave them his signature finger guns and a wink before laughing when Pidge smacked their forehead with their palm and dragged it down their face in annoyance.

He had been watching, too, as Shiro slowly entered the room. He saw as their leader locked eyes with the Princess, her own silently asking how he fared. Shiro just smiled kindly in response, and Allura relaxed more, turning her attention back to the rest of the team.

Shiro walked up next to Pidge, placing a hand on their shoulder. “Hey, Pidge. You alright?”

Pidge beamed up at him. “Yeah, Shiro. I’m all good! No need to worry about me anymore!”

Shiro chuckled. “I’m always worried about you, kiddo. That’s my job.”

“I’m not a kid, Shiro, I can take care of myself.”

“I know that. Doesn’t mean we can’t keep an eye on you still, and help when you need it.” Shiro gestured to the group. “We’re a team. That’s kind of the definition of teamwork. We can all take care of ourselves, but we have each other to fall back on in times of need.”

Lance smiled. Shiro always knew what to say, it seemed. His eyes darted over all other members of Team Voltron, and, by the looks of things, this time was no exception. Hunk’s lip even quivvered.

“Oh man, you guys,” Hunk sniffled. “That’s it, group hug!”

The next thing he knew, Lance was laughing loudly along with everyone else as Hunk’s huge arms pulled all the Paladins together in a big mess of tangled arms and potentially some tears. Even Allura and Coran joined in, poking their heads into the small circle as best as they could.

When the hug broke, Shiro remained next to Pidge. He poked their cheek gently. “And by the way, Pidge? Yes, you are still a kid.”

Pidge scoffed. “I am adult enough!” They folded their arms, but their eyelids began to droop. “I don’t need to,” they yawned, “be treated like a,” they wobbled a bit, “child.”

Shiro sighed as he held onto Pidge’s shoulder, keeping them upright. “Alright, kiddo, let’s get you to bed.”

Lance laughed to himself as Pidge didn’t even protest as Shiro picked them up, holding them to his chest as they wrapped their arms around his neck, already fallen asleep. It was just a reminder that Pidge _was_ the youngest of the group, and still a child in Earth years. Lance frowned at the thought. They didn’t deserve to be up here, in space, looking for their possibly dead family. They deserved a childhood that wasn’t risking their life trying to defend the universe.

Shiro turned to the group again. “Alright, team, let’s all get some rest. I think we all deserve it.” He looked over his teammates individually. “You all did great out there today, even if we had some minor setbacks,” he grimaced slightly, looking down at the Green Paladin in his arms.

“I’m really proud of you all,” he continued. “You have no idea how much it thrills me to see you all working together for the greater good, putting your lives on the line to save those who are less fortunate to be able to fight back,” he glanced at Hunk, who nodded in return. “We may have all come from different walks of life, but I could not be any happier to call you all my family,” his eyes fell on Keith, who smirked back at him.

Lance felt his smile widen and his face flush as Shiro turned to him. “I can’t tell you in words how thankful I am for your support. And I know for a fact that as long as I do, we’re going to be able to win this war.”

Shiro finally turned to Allura and Coran, who were both beaming, Coran looking about ready to break down sobbing. He smiled back at them both. “Team Voltron is united by the differences of each Paladin. Our strength comes from understanding and working with each other’s burdens, not carrying them as their own, individually. Zarkon may have an army, but we have a family that will never back down from a fight. And we’re going to keep fighting until we are sure that our family, our friends, and the ones we love are free to live without knowing the fear of the Galra.”

Hunk sniffled once, and that was all it took before he and Coran were bawling their eyes out. Allura wiped gently at the underside of her eyes and Keith’s face was definitely wet. Lance wanted to tease him about it, but really, with his own eyes watering and lower lip trembling, he knew he had no room to talk.

Allura laughed as she wiped away the remainder of her tears. “Shiro, it’s no wonder the Black Lion chose you as its Paladin.” She gave him the biggest grin, Shiro placing the hand that wasn’t holding Pidge up on her shoulder.

Lance felt something then in his chest as Allura and Shiro shared a glance with Pidge still in his arms. There was something oddly domestic about what he was seeing. He always thought Shiro would make a great father, just by observing how he carried himself. He always had that air of maturity about him, as well as a a stern posture and a glare that could send anyone to their room without him having to say anything. But he also was so compassionate and caring, and was always there to listen if anyone needed to vent, or a shoulder to cry on.

He momentarily pondered about the tightness around his heart as he watched Shiro leave to take Pidge to their room. He glanced back over to Allura, noticing how her gaze lingered on the doorframe, a wistful look in her eyes. In the beginning, he would have thought it was because he wanted her look at _him_ like that. But the more he thought about it, the more he came to realize that he simply didn’t want her looking at _Shiro_ like that.

The thought surprised him. Lance always knew that Shiro was attractive, and he knew that his level of adoration of his former idol and now teammate had become exceedingly more than a friendly level over the time they spent together, but he never thought of himself as the jealous type. Shiro was their commanding officer, their leader, the head of Voltron. He made his own decisions and Lance knew he had no room to interfere with what Shiro wanted.

Lance shook his head lightly in an attempt to clear his thoughts. He looked back at his teammates. Keith was already heading out to his room and Coran and Hunk had stopped crying but were passing the box of tissues back and forth. Lance glanced at Allura and caught her gaze as she smiled at him.

“Lance, thank you.” she said softly.

He raised an eyebrow. “What for, Princess? Simply gracing you with my presence?”

Allura rolled her eyes but laughed. “No. For helping Shiro.”

“Oh,” Lance felt his cocky demeanor drop in a second and was replaced by that well known feeling of adoration.

The princess only smiled wider at his change in attitude. “Whatever you did, Lance, it worked. I can tell. That speech was full of an emotion I’ve never seen him release before. And I would bet my Castle that it was all because of you.”

Lance felt his cheeks heat up from the praise as he shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. “Eh, it was nothing, really. I just did what I thought would help.”

Allura stepped forward, delicate fingers lightly touching his elbow. “I know it wasn’t ‘nothing’ to him. I know you reaching out to him when he has his moments like that means the world to him.”

The Blue Paladin only flushed harder, the tips of his ears he was sure were as red as Keith’s jacket.

He heard Allura giggle more than he saw it. “Lance, could you do me one last favor and check up on him tonight? I have a feeling he won’t go to bed unless someone makes him.” She sent him a playful wink. Wait, or did he just imagine that?

Imagination or not, Lance felt his mouth open slightly and hang there for a moment, at a loss for words. “I, uh… yeah. Sure thing, Princess. Can do!”

Allura nodded. “Thank you, again, Lance.” She stepped towards the door. “I’m turning in for some sleep myself. Have a good rest,” and with a wave, she made her way to her own chambers.

Lance dragged a hand through his hair. She knew something he didn’t, he could tell. But he just didn’t know what. What he did know was that she was right about Shiro. He probably wouldn’t rest now after everything that happened. It probably would be smart of him to check on their leader after a while to make sure he got his own good night’s sleep. He just wanted to make sure Shiro was well-rested after all. That’s the only reason why he would ever stay up and actively seek out the Black Paladin… right? It’s not like he was _that_ desperate to see him again, or anything. But he’ll definitely do that.

Right after a shower.

 

\-----

 

Shiro had just finished tucking Pidge into their bed, stepping out of the Green Paladin’s room, the door sliding shut behind him. He looked down towards the far end of the hall and saw Keith enter his own room. He began making his nightly rounds down the corridors, circling once, twice, finally three times before he was sure each of the Paladins were in their rooms, lights out.

He had passed by the command center on his second round, speaking briefly with Coran, who was taking first watch shift. Shiro had simply patted the Altean on the shoulder with a smile when he had suggested for Shiro to turn in for the night along with his comrades.

After his third walk of the Castle’s slumber quarters, he silently strolled throughout the rest of the castle, letting his mind wander along with the rest of him.

It had certainly been a hectic day for Team Voltron; or, at the very least, the last what felt like 24 hours, since there was no day and night cycle in space (even though Pidge did manage to rig up a system to dim the Castle's ambiance lights to replicate such in an attempt to help regulate their sleep patterns). Shiro couldn't even begin to wrap his mind around the series of events that had transpired; it all just happened so fast. Between the too-quiet arrival on the “uninhabited” planet, Pidge getting caught in the crossfire and Lance helping calm him during his panic attack, it was all too much for him to process.

He knew what he said back in the medical bay was true. They were a team, a family, and that meant they would stick together through thick and thin, putting their lives on the line for the greater good of the universe, and for each other. But he still felt a pain of regret, almost feeling hypocritical, when he thought about the seconds before and after he saw the Green Paladin go down.

He recalled the way the world felt like it slowed down as he saw the energy blast head straight for their open side. He remembered screaming for them, reaching an arm out, doing everything in his power to remove them from harm’s way. In the end, his attempts were futile.

He was forced to watch as the blast had struck their side, their eyes wide with the shock of pain, causing their bayard to drop and their shield to disperse. He saw Pidge, now wide open and stunned, stagger sideways, their hand instinctively pressing on their wound, as a second energy blast impacted their shoulder, sending them halfway across the field.

He remembered then, as a wave of shocked silence rolled over their team for the first few seconds after Pidge's body finally stilled, how each of the other members of Team Voltron sprung into action.

Hunk had dashed over to where the Green Paladin lay, being the closest to where they landed. Keith, in a fit of unbridled fury, rushed into the fray, slicing any enemy he was in range of, with Lance giving him cover fire from behind.

And Shiro? He just stood there, hand outstretched and eyes wide in fear. He just stood there as his team reacted quickly around him, while all he could do is see Pidge’s face -- no, _Matt’s_ face -- contorted in pain and fear.

It was happening again, wasn't it? He let a teammate, a friend, get hurt. He couldn't lose another. But he couldn't move. He had felt like he was suddenly encased in solid ice, the chill that had gone down his back freezing him in place to where all he could do was watch in horror.

It was only Lance’s worried voice over the comms calling his name that snapped him out of his trance.

Lance. That boy had saved him more times than he knew. Sometimes, more times than he was willing to admit.

Shiro let his mind wander back to Lance’s projection of Veradero Beach, thinking of the soothing crash of the waves and the feeling of the warm sand between his fingers. Lance had opened up to him, let him into his mind, all to help _Shiro_. It was such a selfless act that Shiro had been left wondering why he would ever want to help him in the first place when all he ever seemed to do was fail them as a leader.

His mind reeled. What if it was Lance that had got hit instead of Pidge? He was sure his PTSD wouldn’t have been triggered, he knew that was because Pidge looked so much like their brother, who was either dead or still a Galran prisoner. But Lance? Lance was a whole other story.

Shiro wasn’t blind to the fact that Lance was the type of person that would gladly sacrifice himself for others. It was more than evident the first time they met, and proven when their castle was attacked with a fake Rover and he jumped to protect Coran. It was proven again and again when he would jump in the line of fire for Hunk, shove Pidge out of the way, or even simply engage his mouth before Keith had a chance to open his, allowing himself to be reprimanded instead of the Red Paladin. It was also proven whenever Shiro froze up while they were formed as Voltron, and he would jump into the role of the leader, moving his lion in a manner that would steer their team out of the line of danger.

No, Shiro wasn’t blind to see that Lance carried the entire weight of the team on his shoulder, and he was happy to do so. His light-hearted and outgoing personality would never fail to brighten the mood of the team, bringing smiles and laughter to the rest of the paladins. Shiro wasn’t blind to how his eyes would sparkle when he cracked a joke that everyone actually found hilarious, or how his confident yet slightly arrogant posture would relax when he was alone in the navigation room, peering up at the unfamiliar constellations.

What Shiro _had_ been blind to, was how much he had started to depend on Lance’s support. It wasn’t a conscious dependency, though, but rather, an underlying desire for the Blue Paladin to meet him halfway, and to reassure Shiro that he was going to be alright.

Shiro found himself leaning up against one of the railings of the observation deck, his eyes focused on the deep space outside of the large windows. The blackness of space seemed to encase him in a cocoon of emptiness, dragging a feeling of loneliness into the pit of his stomach. What if he lost them, too? What would he do then; without Pidge’s inquiries, Hunk’s hugs, Keith’s fierce persistence, or Lance’s smile? What would he do if they lost Allura, or Coran?

He let his head drop, focusing on the floor. He couldn’t. He couldn’t lose them. But with their current job description, that wasn’t a guarantee. The Galra were ruthless and merciless. And being a Defender of the Universe came with the fine print that you might not make it out alive.

He lifted his arm, the Galran one, and squeezed his fist tightly shut. He knew that there was a chance that any day, he _could_ lose one of them. But he wasn’t going to let that happen without a fight. He would do everything in his power to make sure that his friends were safe. And he knew that meant that he was going to have to stop freezing up in the middle of battle and start _focusing_.

But how? Every time a memory resurfaced or a fight-or-flight moment presented itself, he just froze. The only thing that ever seemed to jolt him out of his daze was Lance’s worried voice, calling out to him, begging him to snap out of it. Shiro shook his head. He would have to find something else. He couldn’t always rely on Lance to be there to help him. What if he wasn’t nearby to be heart through the comms? What if he was trying to fend for himself? What if he were actually gone? What then?

“Thought I’d find you in here.”

Speak of the Paladin. Shiro glanced up, watching as Lance gracefully wander over next to him, clad in his pajama pants, a thin long-sleeved shirt and blue lion slippers. His hair was slightly damp, more than likely having just got out of the showers.

Shiro’s brows furrowed. “I thought you went to bed?”

Lance chuckled. “I could ask you the same thing, you know?” He smiled gently up at the Black Paladin. “But you know, Allura called it.”

“She called what, exactly?”

“That you would stay up, even after all of us hit the hay. Told me to make sure you got some Z’s yourself.”

Shiro let his gaze fall to the floor again. “Ah, I see. That’s why you’re here.”

There was silence for a moment. “That’s not the only reason I’m here, Shiro.” Lance reached out, placing a gentle hand on Shiro’s shoulder. “I’m… I’m really worried about you. I walked in here and you looked like you were about to fall apart again.”

Shiro looked back up and stared into those blue eyes that shone even in the near-pitch blackness of the observation deck, only illuminated by the dim blue floor lights. “I was just… thinking. That’s all.”

“Dude, you’re going to think yourself into another meltdown at this rate. I think you’re thinking too much about thoughts you probably shouldn’t be thinking about.”

Shiro let out an airy snort. Lance never faltered to try to get a positive reaction out of him. “I’ll be fine, Lance.”

“I know you’ll _be_ fine, but _are_ you fine? Like, right now? By that look on your face, I’m gonna go with ‘nope’.” Lance reached up and poked his cheek. He was so close to him now, their shoulders brushing as they both leaned against the railing.

Shiro reached up slowly and held his wrist, tugging it gently away from his face. He sighed. “Okay, I’ll admit. I was… having a moment.”

“Called it.”

“But I can promise you, I’ll be okay. I just… needed some time to clear my head.” He lowered his hand down by his side, still encasing Lance’s wrist.

Lance looked up at him, that gleam of hope in his eyes again. “Did you, maybe, want to talk about it? Talking normally helps me clear out all the bad thoughts from my head.”

_I’ve noticed_ , Shiro wanted to retort, but decided against it. Instead, took a deep breath as he lowered his head once more. “It’s nothing I’m sure you don’t already think about, yourself. You know, like what happened today. How I could have prevented it from happening in the first place. What I would have done if Pidge-” A finger was suddenly on his lips. He looked back up again to Lance stepping close.

“Gonna stop you right there for a second, because that _didn’t_ happen. And with what _did_ happen,” he let his finger slip from Shiro’s lips, letting his hand rest on the Black Paladin’s chest, “you had _no_ control over. So please don’t be beating yourself up over it. Pidge wouldn’t want you to, either.”

Lance was looking up at him with those eyes again, and Shiro felt something in him break. “Lance, I… I _froze_ out there. I just… I just _stopped_ .” His face scrunched up and he gripped Lance’s wrist a bit tighter, though the other boy didn’t protest. “If I could have just _moved_ I could have _helped_. But. But I didn’t. I failed. And it was only because of you and the others that we even made it out of there.

“I’m supposed to be the leader. The ‘Decisive Head of Voltron’. But when it comes down to making those major split-second decisions, I freeze. I can’t afford to slip, Lance. When every second matters on the battlefield, I can’t afford to fail. But I did. I failed to make a move and it nearly cost Pidge their life. I almost lost them… I could have lost you.”

Lance reached up, prying his wrist free, and placed both hands on the side of Shiro’s face, his thumbs wiping at the tear streaks that had formed. “Shiro, hey, shhh… it’s okay. You’re okay. You didn’t fail. It’s not your fault.”

Shiro felt himself shake uncontrollably. He never let himself crumble like this before in front of anyone. Why did Lance make him feel comfortable enough to cry in front of him? He took a shaky breath, “I could have been you, Lance. It could have been you, or Hunk, or Keith. It could have been any one of you and I don’t know what I would have done if I did lose any of you. I have to focus. I can’t mess up like that again. If you hadn’t reached out then… I doubt I would have even been able to move.

“You’ve done that before, you know? Break me out of that trance. You always seem to sense when I’m not all the way there and you reach out for me and… it’s the only thing that’s kept me focused. I just… I can’t thank you enough. But I also can’t keep relying on you to be there. There might be a time that you won’t and I’m going to have only myself to rely on.”

Lance pulled Shiro close, pressing their foreheads together. “Then I’ll just have to make sure that I’m always there, won’t I?”

Shiro stilled. “What? No, Lance, I can’t… I can’t ask that of you.”

“You’re not asking, I’m telling.” Lance pulled back a bit before letting his arms wrap around the taller man’s neck, resting his cheek on the other’s chest. “I told you already, Shiro. You’re important to us. To me. And your mental well-being is just as important as your physical. To know that I can help you like that? I feel that’s a huge honor, not a burden to bear. I _want_ to be there for you.” He lifted his head to peer up into the Black Paladin’s dark eyes. “If you’ll let me.”

He didn’t even think about it. Before his mind could process the closeness, Shiro closed his eyes and brought his head down, closing the small distance between them. His lips pressed softly against Lance’s, lingering for a moment before he brought a hand up to slip against the smaller man’s cheek, resting near the back of his head.

It only took second for Lance to react, moving forward as much as he could, pressing his entire frame against Shiro, his arms wrapping tighter around his neck and standing on his toes to push himself more into the kiss.

Shiro let his prosthetic arm snake around Lance’s waist, holding him close, pulling tight as if attempting to diminish any remaining space between them. His lips moved slowly, kneading against the other’s as they fell into a rhythmic pace. His hand on Lance’s neck moved back more to lace his fingers into that soft brown hair; Lance making a noise of approval beneath him, which only spurred him to press his lips harder on the other boy’s.

After a moment, Shiro pulled back, both of them breathing heavy as their foreheads pressed back together.

Lance looked at him through half-lidded eyes. “You know, you never did answer me.”

Shiro smiled back softly. “Actions speak louder than words, you know.”

The Blue Paladin’s lips curved into his signature smirk. “You’re gonna have to say that again, I’m pretty sure I wasn’t listening.”

For the second time that night, Shiro didn’t even hesitate.


End file.
